“In accordance with UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair,” read a UCI statement.

“This constitutes the second AAF for a member of the UCI Continental Team Pishgaman Cycling within a twelve-month period.”

Previously, Naser Rezavi from the UCI Continental-level team had failed a test for anabolic androgenic steroids on December 11 2015. Rezavi was handed a four-year ban for the infringement.

According to UCI anti-doping rules, the whole squad will now face a suspension from competition for a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of 45 days.

A decision on the length of ban will be made by the UCI’s Disciplinary Commission “in due course”.

Tougher anti-doping rules were introduced in January 2015 so that a team could be given a penalty when two or more riders fail an anti-doping test. The new measures discourage organised doping within teams and also prompt teams to ensure their riders compete clean, rather than the onus being entirely on the individual rider.

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